


solangelo week 2019

by wordsofink



Series: solangelo one-shots [12]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Babysitting, Best Friends, Blind Date, Camp Half-Blood, Capture the Flag, Car Accident, Character Death, Childhood Friends, College AU, Complete, Cute, Dad!Will, Dates, Dating, Enemies to Friends, Established Relationship, Friendship, Guardian Angel AU, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of survivor's guilt, Minor Injuries, Model!Nico, Muffins, Neighbors, Nightmares, Party, Picnic, Pizza, Referenced depression, Roommates, Secret Relationship, Some angst, Strangers to Friends, Sun/Moon - Freeform, Tattoos, art class, artistic nico, bedrest, bookstore, doctor's orders, fake/pretend dating, famous!nico, guardian angel!will, references to panic and anxiety attacks, solangelo, spy AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-18 16:27:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19338253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordsofink/pseuds/wordsofink
Summary: Hi all! Back with some more fics :) this is part of the Solangelo Week 2k19, so please check out the other fics in this collection!*characters are not mine unless otherwise stated*1: eclipse - sun/moon2: boyfriends and breadsticks - secret relationship au3: always there for you - guardian angel au (tw)4: sneaking around - college au5: playdate - nico babysits6: made to love - will has nightmares7: muffin stealer - kind of enemies to friends8: doctor's orders - will's on bedrest





	1. eclipse

**Author's Note:**

> shoutout to buoyantsaturn, unwieldyink, and solange_lol for hosting the event -- go check out their fics!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Nico hang out in a bookstore.

Nico’s mom had always told him that love was like the moon: always there even if he couldn’t see it. He remembers that she’d held him so tight that night, like he might suddenly turn to stardust and fall through her fingers. She’d sang him lullabies, though he was almost ten, kissing his head just as he was falling asleep. It turns out that she was the one who turned to stardust. Nico spread her ashes across the ocean, watching the tide rise and fall, and praying to the moon to hold his love until he could see her again.

That was years ago, but Nico still remembers. He’s certain his sister, Bianca, has long forgotten. She pays no attention to the nights, preferring to sleep them away. She teases Nico about being a vampire, and Nico wishes he was. He knows it’s not possible, that vampires aren’t real. But he’d be willing to become one, if only it meant that he could be closer to his mom.

It’s not until he’s in a second-hand bookstore that he decides vampirism isn’t for him.

“Is that any good?” comes a voice. Nico startles, hurriedly shoving the book back onto the shelf.

“What book?”

The boy gives him a funny smile. “The book you were holding. My sister’s read it maybe four times, but she won’t let me borrow her copy.”

Nico glances at the shelf, picking up a random book, flipping through the pages. “I haven’t read it either. Want to read the cover?” He hands the boy the book, though they both know it’s not the one they’re talking about. It’s just super embarrassing to be caught holding a copy of Twilight. Even more embarrassing that this boy is way too cute for Nico’s own good.

“Doesn’t seem quite my taste,” the boy says, handing the book back to Nico. “I’m open to recommendations, though. I need one for my English class. I thought book reports were for elementary school.”

Nico agrees, but he doesn’t say so. Instead, he scans the shelves around him. He’s been in this store at least thirteen times in the last month. It’s one of his favorite places to just come and hang out. There’s even a table in the back that’s been unofficially reserved for him.

“Depends on what you’re looking for,” Nico says, shrugging. He’s not sure why he’s not trying to get out of his conversation. Maybe it’s because the boy’s freckles remind him of constellations.

“Anything, really. I’m in this young adult lit class because I thought it’d be fun, but I’m really just kind of lost.”

Nico thinks that he’d love to be in that class. While he loves all books, there’s something about young adult literature that’s just wholesome to him. “How about this book?” He holds up a battered copy of a book he read years ago. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. He waits while the boy reads the cover, flips through some pages.

“Is there a happy ending?”

Nico shrugs, smiling a little. “Depends. I think it’s a happy ending.”

“I’ll try it out,” the boy says. “Thanks for helping me. I’m Will.”

“Nico.” Will’s smile widens. It’s just a little blinding.

“Nico, you’re a lifesaver,” Will says. He pauses. “I’d love to stay and chat, but the report’s due this weekend. I can’t believe I waited this long.” He gives Nico one last glance over his shoulder before rushing towards the check out line.

Nico doesn’t think too much of the boy, walking back to his corner and pulling out his laptop. He slips on his headphones, pulling out his own book, and loses himself in the rhythm of studying.  
-  
Nico’s jerked out of his personal space when someone drops a book on his table. He blinks, glancing up to see Will standing in front of him.

“This book was amazing,” Will says. If Nico’s being honest, he kind of thinks Will’s trying to hold back tears. “So amazing in fact that I’ve been laying on my bed for the past hour trying to figure out what to write.”

Nico glances at his laptop. “Wasn’t that report due?”

Will nods. “Yeah, but I just don’t know what to write, Nico. There are so many feels, and I’m just completely lost.” Now Nico’s pretty sure that Will’s got tears forming in his eyes. The blueness of them is getting more so now, like oceans threatening to spill over.

“What’s the report supposed to be about?” Nico thinks that he’s supposed to be upset that a complete stranger has just ruined his studying, but he can’t. Will’s so obviously in need of some help, and Nico loves talking about books. “Sit down before you fall over or something,” he adds.

Will does just that. “I don’t think that there’s a specific focus of the report. It’s just supposed to be about the book and maybe include a summary. I told you, I’m completely lost in this class. I love it, but I’m lost.”

Nico doesn’t know what to say to that.

“It’s not like I’m stupid. It’s just that my brain likes facts so much better. So to be completely caught off guard with all of these feelings, I’ve just basically been a big mess this semester. We just keep reading such good books, and I’m really falling behind on studying because I have to read them all again when it already takes me forever to read.”

Nico doesn’t say anything. He just met this boy three days ago, and he’s already plowed through about 230 pages.

“Wait, you read this twice already?”

Will shakes his head. “No, but I want to. I just need to get this report done first. And maybe also everything else I’ve been putting off.” He thunks his head lightly on the table. “I just didn’t know this book would be so good.”

Nico smiles. “Well, I wouldn’t have recommended it if it were bad.”

Will looks at him. “Could you help me? Please? I’d really appreciate it. And I could repay you somehow.”

Nico nods. He’s not going to be getting anymore studying done now, so he might as well. He closes his laptop, relieved when Will starts pulling out his own. At least Will was prepared. He pulls up the assignment sheet, and Nico attempts to help Will get his thoughts sorted out. Nico does sympathize with him. He remembers his own experience reading this book for the first time. He can relate to so much of the book. He wonders how much Will can relate to, if that’s why it’s affecting him so much.

On the other hand, Will also just seems way more emotional than Nico in general.

Nico gets a little peace when Will starts typing out his report. It’s interesting to watch Will work. Half the time his face is scrunched up in concentration. The rest of the time is spent staring into space. Nico finds the whole thing very relatable.

One hour later, Will throws his hands in the air. “I’m done!” He receives a glare from someone wandering through the shelves, but he doesn’t seem to care. He’s got this triumphant smile on his face, his curls a mess as he does a little happy dance. It’s way more endearing than Nico thinks it should be.

“Seriously, though,” he says, looking at Nico, “I owe you. I don’t think I could have done this without you.”

Nico doesn’t know what he did other than be there for Will to talk to. He didn’t even really help to outline the report. He just kind of nodded and smiled as Will rambled on, only correcting things that were canonically wrong. And there were very few things.

“I’ll think of something,” Nico says. Will’s already packing up his stuff, saying that he’s late for some study session he promised to be at. He thanks Nico about a dozen times more before hurrying out.  
-  
Meeting in the bookstore becomes a routine before Nico realizes it. It’d always been Nico’s routine, but Will fits himself seamlessly into it. They would sit at the same table, doing their own homework. Occasionally, they’d talk. Apparently, they went to the same school. Nico quickly learned that Will was a science nerd, had to be with all of the textbooks he carried around, all of the fancy names he whispered under his breath when he studied.

“My dad’s this kind of famous doctor that travels around. I don’t really get it, but he’s doing pretty good. So I guess it’s a thing,” Will says. “At first, you know, I just really liked the lab coat, but now it’s obviously more than that.”

Nico nods. “Me, too. My mom was always writing poetry on scrap paper and wherever she could. And I just loved finding the papers everywhere and reading her thoughts.” He pauses. “When she died, she left behind so many papers that my dad decided not to move. I still find them around now and then.”

Will smiles. “That’s really sweet. I kind of wish my dad did something like that. He’s got such weird hours that it’s hard to even call sometimes.”

Nico considers telling Will about the moon thing, but he decides not to. Their friendship is still new, and Will hasn’t even repaid his favor yet. It’s much too early to bring in the concept of love. Especially a love like the moon.

“Oh, hey, so my brother is having this small party thing this weekend,” Will says. “Would you want to come? I promise it won’t be crazy or anything.”

“What if I like crazy?” Nico asks.

Will shrugs. “I’m sure we can find something.”

Nico shakes his head. “I don’t like crazy. Would he be okay if I came?”

“Probably. Considering he’s been telling me to make friends for forever. It’s just hard to find friends that want to study as much as I do.”

Nico knows the feeling. Their school wasn’t too much of a party school, but it did house its fair share of partying students. And late night parties didn’t mix too well with late night studying. Or early morning classes for that matter. That and Nico just didn’t do parties. He preferred his nights quiet. Just him and the moon.

“Sounds fun, then,” Nico says. Will smiles.

“I’ll text you the details. Or I can pick you up. I don’t actually know where you live.”

Nico laughs. “Or have my number for that matter.”

Will looks surprised, pulling out his phone. Nico assumes he’s scrolling through his contacts. “How is that possible? We’ve been friends for like a month.”

Nico rolls his eyes. “We’ve been studying for at least half of that. And sleeping for a good bit of the rest.”

Will pouts, holding out his phone. Nico types his number in, saving it before handing it back to Will. “Also, I could use another great recommendation.”

“Don’t you have that paper coming up?”

“Yeah, but I need something to help get me through it.” Nico doubts that’s how it’ll work, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he scans through his memory, thinking of a book Will might like.

“Flowers for Algernon?” Nico asks. He’s not quite sure why he thinks Will would like it, but it’d be nice to talk about the book with someone. He still hasn’t convinced his sister to read it.

Sure enough, as they leave, Will’s got Nico’s number and Flowers for Algernon tucked into his arm.  
-  
The party isn’t quite what Nico was expecting. It’s certainly not crazy. Nico’s only counted about three beer bottles so far, and he’s having trouble hearing the music over the regular conversation. When he’d walked in, he’d expected to see people dancing or drinking or both. Instead, everyone’s sitting around the living room, snack bowls dotting the tables, a video game on the TV.

“Hey, guys,” Will says. He waves to the small group on the couch. There’s a girl refilling some snacks in the kitchen. Nico hears soft music pour from the speaker in the corner.

“You live here?” Nico asks.

Will nods. “Yup. With my brother. He’s over there.” Nico thinks he could find Will’s brother without help. Will’s pretty much a photocopy of him with longer curls and a bit more baby fat to his cheeks. Other than that, they’re both blond and freckled with broad shoulders and lanky forms.

“Lee, and you must be Nico,” Will’s brother says, coming over. He shakes Nico’s hand. “Snacks and drinks are wherever. Help yourself. We were just about to start a Mario Kart tournament if you want to join.”

Nico glances at Will. “Like I said, not a crazy party. Lee’s very much against those. Also, dinner will be ready in a bit.”

Nico just nods. This is so different from what he’d expected, and he’s honestly relieved. He’d been preparing excuses all morning in case he needed to leave early. Now he’s not sure he could even leave without everyone noticing.

He ends up on the couch, between the armrest and a girl who introduces herself as Clarisse. Nico felt a bit intimidated by her at first, but she turns out to be pretty funny. Though she is brutally competitive. Nico sits the first tournament out.

“Dinner’s ready!” Will calls. “Nothing fancy since Lee left me to cook.”

This gets a laugh, and Nico soon understands why. While the food isn’t burnt, the kitchen is way messier than it should be for what Will made. It’s breakfast for dinner with pancakes and eggs and bacon. Will’s got flour on almost every flat surface, and Nico’s pretty sure that there are more dirty dishes than necessary.

“Tastes good, Will,” a guy says. Nico thinks his name is Michael. Michael claps Will on the back, heading back into the living room.

“Help yourself. I promise it’s not poisoned,” Will says. He’s got his own stack of pancakes, and Nico wants to know just how many Will made. Everyone’s got their own mini stack, and Nico starts making his. Will produces chocolate chips from the cupboard, holding a finger over his lips. “Don’t tell anyone. I didn’t buy enough for the party.”

Nico laughs, tucking the chips between his pancakes, both to hide them and to encourage them to melt. He pours syrup over the whole stack, grabbing a fork and a handful of napkins.

“Want to sit on the balcony?” Will asks. Nico nods. The couch is way too full now, everyone’s elbows bumping into each other.

They settle on the cushioned seats outside. The day is still warm from the sun, and Will lets out a soft sigh when he looks at the sunset.

“This might sound silly,” he says, shoving a bite of pancakes into his mouth, “but sometimes I like to watch the sunset and imagine my dad being able to see the same one.”

Nico doesn’t speak for a moment, caught off guard by the feelings that Will’s statement brings up. “It’s not silly,” he manages.

“It’s just that there’s only one sun, so everyone has to look at the same one. No matter where we are.” Nico looks at Will, silhouetted against the sunset. His features are cast in the golden-pink light. His freckles look like glitter, his curls on fire. He’s got a soft smile on his lips like he’s somewhere else.

Nico’s reminded of a quote from I’ll Give You the Sun: “His soul might be a sun. I’ve never met anyone who had the sun for a soul.”

“It just makes me feel closer to him, I guess,” Will says, turning to look at Nico.

“I get that,” Nico says softly. “I do the same thing with my mom. Only, she’s the moon.” He doesn’t expect Will to laugh, and Will doesn’t. But he doesn’t expect Will to take his hand either. Will’s hands feel warm in his, a little sticky from the syrup.

“Is that why you like the book so much?”

Nico nods. Will attempts to eat his pancakes with his left hand. Nico laughs.

“I don’t think anyone really dies. They’re gone, but they’re always with us.”

They sit in silence after that, eating their pancakes. The sun sets, and the moon comes out. And then Nico’s just suddenly overcome with emotion. Will squeezes his hand softly, not speaking. Instead, they watch the moon rise, just a sliver in the night sky.

It’s not until they head inside that Will speaks. “Thank you.” Nico thinks for a moment that Will’s going to kiss him, but he just wipes some chocolate from the corner of Nico’s mouth.

“Goodnight.”  
-  
Nothing’s changed, but something has changed, Nico thinks. They’re in the bookstore again, Will tapping away at his computer. Nico hasn’t been able to get a single decent word down. Instead, he’s been watching people wander through the aisles.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Nico says. Will looks surprised, but he nods. Nico waits for Will to finish up what he’s doing, and then they’re walking somewhere.

“Something on your mind?” Will asks. It’s been a week since the party, and Nico’s watched the moon rise every night. He sleeps with the blinds open so that the light pours through his window. But it feels different than it normally does. Usually, he’s filled with peace after finishing his nightly routine. But lately, he’s been lying awake.

“What made you ask about Twilight that first day?” Nico asks. Will looks confused for a moment.

“Just an excuse to talk to a really cute boy. And I was clearly desperate for a recommendation. If you had suggested Twilight, I would have read it.”

Nico smiles. “I tried to read it. Couldn’t get past the sparkling in the sun.”

Will laughs. “Yeah, I’ve seen the movies.” Somewhere on this walk, Will’s taken his hand. Nico didn’t even notice it happening. Will squeezes his hand gently, moving to avoid bumping into someone hurrying by.

“Do you think soulmates exist?”

Will shrugs. “Aren’t the sun and moon supposed to soulmates?”

“Tragic ones, I guess,” Nico says. Will frowns.

“I don’t think it’s tragic. Well, there are definitely tragic versions, but I don’t believe them. Love doesn’t have to be tragic to make a good story.”

“What do you think happened?” Nico asks. He’d always thought of the sun and moon like star-crossed lovers, the original Romeo and Juliet.

“I think that they fell in love. Simple as that. No relationship comes without hardship. Doesn’t mean it’s tragic.”

“But they aren’t together,” Nico says. “They’re on opposite sides of the globe.”

Will shrugs. “My mom used to tell me that they were playing tag. That eclipses were when one of them won. I always liked the idea of them being playful and having fun. That they aren’t forced to be apart. But even if they are, they make it work. That’s what love is.”

Nico’s taken back to his mom’s words. That love was there, even when one couldn’t see it.

“I don’t think we’d be able to handle their love if they were ever together for long,” Will says softly. “Their love might destroy the world.”

“And that’s not tragic?”

“Not for them. For us, maybe.” Will’s smiling now, a lopsided grin that Nico absolutely loves. “I’m not saying it’s a perfect love. Just that it’s not tragic to me.”

“I like that,” Nico says. “Would you really read Twilight if I told you to?”  
-  
“Are we really doing this?” Will asks.

“You can still back out,” Nico says.

Will pouts. “But then it won’t be as pretty. Or as meaningful.”

“Well, you could always say yes.”

Will looks at him, at his wrist. “It’s going to hurt.”

“Just for a little bit. I’ll hold your hand.”

“I can’t believe the things I do for you.”

The things you do for love, Nico thinks. Though he’s not the one complaining right now.

“Can I go first?” Will asks. Nico nods. It’s a good idea. Otherwise, Will might back out. Not that Nico would guilt or shame him, but a couples tattoo looks a bit stupid if only one person gets it.

The tattoo artist traces the pattern onto Will’s wrist, and Will’s already about to cut off the circulation in Nico’s hand.

“You’re going to be fine, Will. Just a lot of pinches. It’s like karma, you know? All of the times you’ll be giving people shots.”

Will throws a half-hearted glare at him, but he stays still as the tattoo begins to take form. Nico distracts Will as best he can, and then it’s his turn. Will pretends to distract Nico, but Nico’s pretty sure Will’s still distracting himself.

“Can I look at it?” Will asks when Nico’s done. He already knows what Nico got, but Nico’s also excited for the final reveal. “I never thought I’d get a tattoo.”

They stand in front of the mirror, their wrists in front of them. Will counts down as they peel the paper off, and then he’s trying to hold back his tears.

“You can cry, Will. It’s okay.”

Will sniffles. “I know. I just didn’t think I’d get so emotional.”

Nico smiles, patting Will’s shoulder. He looks at their matching wrists. A sun and a moon, about to eclipse each other. The artwork is simple, minimalist. The sun is a circle of gold, the moon silver. But it’s beautiful. Because there’s so much meaning behind it.

Will wipes away a couple of tears. “It really hurt, Nico. I’m never doing this again.”

Nico smiles, reaching up to kiss Will’s cheek. “I love you, too.”


	2. boyfriends and breadsticks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will's not lonely.

Will kind of wants to stab his eye out. Or maybe something less dramatic. But he’d do almost anything at this point to just have this conversation end. He’s not quite sure when it began, and he definitely doesn’t see an end in sight. But he can hope.

“Kayla,” he interrupts. “I’m not lonely. I don’t need help finding love. I’m doing perfectly fine as I am.”

Kayla sighs. “Yeah, I know, Will. But don’t you think that maybe you could do something more with your life than studying and making coffee?”

Will shrugs. “I think those are both very important things. Studying ensures that I don’t fail university, and coffee makes sure I can study.”

Will can see that Kayla wants to sigh again, but she makes a valiant effort to hold it inside. He waits somewhat impatiently for her to continue with her monologue. She’s been trying to set him up for the past several weeks, but Will keeps turning her down. He’s not lonely. Even if he were single. Which he’s not. Because he’s got an amazing boyfriend.

The only problem is that his amazing boyfriend is kind of famous, so they’re keeping their relationship under the radar. Nico had been worried about the paparazzi interrupting Will’s studying and coffee-making. So they’d agreed to keep their relationship secret. Which is really only difficult when people like Kayla think he’s lonely.

“I know you’re not lonely, Will. But maybe you should get out and meet some new people? Your last relationship ended two years ago.” Will nods. He’s very aware of his last breakup. He doesn’t need Kayla to remind him. “And I know you were very broken up about it, but two years is plenty of time to heal and move on.”

“I have moved on,” Will says. After about a month of moping, he’d finally picked his head up off the metaphorical floor and gotten on with his life. It was clear that Ben had cared less about the breakup than Will had, so it only made sense that Will was the only one trying to keep the relationship alive. So he’d let it go.

And then he’d met Nico at a hole-in-the-wall pizza place he used to work at, and it was basically like love at first sight. Only, maybe several sightings in a row. And now he and Nico were dating and Will was working at a coffee shop that paid him better and didn’t make him smell like tomatoes every day.

“Would you even be open about maybe going on a blind date? I promise I’ll do my research before and everything. And you can blame me one hundred percent if things go badly.”

Will really wishes that someone would come in to order a coffee or maybe one of those quiches that he’s been staring at for the better part of an hour. He’s getting really hungry. And he could use a distraction.

“Or maybe you could just talk to that crush of yours,” Kayla adds.

Will frowns. “What crush?”

Kayla does sigh now, flipping a lock of hair over her shoulder. “I don’t know. All I know is that you’re constantly checking your phone, and whenever you do get a message, your face becomes basically the sun. So clearly, you’ve got a crush. No one smiles like that just checking their email. Classes being cancelled can’t bring that much joy.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. Cancelled class can be a joyous occasion.”

Kayla raises her eyebrows. “Just yesterday you were complaining that your psychology class got cancelled and you had nothing to do.”

“That was yesterday. Today is a new day.”

“Right. So is that a yes for the blind date?”

“Fine,” Will says. He knows he’s not going to come out of this conversation unscathed. It was just one date, and he didn’t have to enjoy it. And then he could go back to dreaming of the day that these conversations would be over.  
-  
It’s sunset, and Will’s laying in the grass as Nico feeds him strawberries. It’s all very romantic because Nico insisted, and Will’s definitely not complaining.

“Why is it that this was the one place you could find that no one would bother us?” Will asks, looking around.

Nico laughs. “Abandoned churches can be romantic,” he says.

“And creepy,” Will adds.

Nico shrugs. “I like them.” They’d been inside earlier, and Nico had treated Will to a private concert at the organ. Will’s not sure why Nico can play the organ so beautifully or how the organ still works after years with no maintenance, but he didn’t ask. All he could do is bask in the music and hope that Nico wasn’t secretly summoning demons or something.

“Don’t tell me you were the kid who was always trying to break into abandoned houses and go ghost hunting,” Will teases. He knows very much that this is exactly what Nico did.

“Well, if your father teaches you to pick a lock, what are you supposed to do with that knowledge?”

“If I remember right, he didn’t exactly teach you.”

Nico hums around a bite of strawberry. “Okay, so he taught me indirectly. But he really shouldn’t have given me all of those crime novels and not expected me to try some things out.”

Will smiles, shaking his head. When the strawberries are gone, he lays his head against Nico’s shoulder. “Though a little creepy, I do like being here. Mostly because of you, though. And not the church. Next time, I’m picking the place.”

“Oh, no. The last time you picked a place, we had to hide in a public restroom.”

“You completely ignored my romantic line,” Will whines, poking Nico’s cheek.

“Yes, I love being with you, too, Will. Even if you’re paranoid about ghosts.” Nico leans over to kiss Will’s nose. Will feels his face warm, Nico’s kisses still able to make him blush. They’ve been together a little over a year, and Will’s still over the moon.

“So you’ll let me pick the next place?”

Nico rolls onto his side. “Maybe. But if we get caught, you’re on your own.”

Will wrinkles his nose. “It’s not my fault you’ve got such a beautiful face.”

“No, that’s my mom’s doing, I’m afraid,” Nico says, laughing. “I love my job. It’s just still kind of weird to see my face everywhere.”

“Not everywhere.”

“Well, not now. I don’t have anything happening right now. But in a couple of months. Dad’s got a new clothing line he wants me to try. It’s supposed to be more my style.”

Will laughs. The last photo shoot Nico had done had been almost comical when contrasted with how Nico usually dressed. “I still think you look amazing in bright colors, sweetheart.”

“Well, we can’t wear bright colors. We’ll never be incognito. And we’ll probably burn someone’s retinas.”

“They weren’t that bright. Pastel isn’t neon. You should know that.”

Nico shrugs. He pulls Will into a cuddling position, and Will feels something inside him settle. They don’t talk for a couple of minutes, instead just watching the last of the sunset. Will grabs the edge of the blanket, covering himself. It’s not exactly cold outside, but the sun did give off a lot of heat. And now it was gone.

“Let me pack up the food. And then we can cuddle for real.”

Will pouts, but he lets Nico go. Nico stacks the containers inside of the basket (an honest to goodness picnic basket). Then he rolls up in the blanket, Nico’s arms around him. He buries his head in Nico’s shoulder, feels Nico kiss the top of his head.

These are some of his favorite moments with Nico, when the rest of the world falls away and they can just sit in silence, breathing the same air. They have to go when Will starts yawning. He’s got work tomorrow, and Nico’s got some sort of publicity event. Will doesn’t pretend to understand Nico’s job, but he supports him all the way.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Nico says. “It’s my turn.”

Will smiles, leaning in for another kiss. This one on the lips. “I’ll be waiting.”  
-  
So between work and school and sleepy nights with Nico’s voice on the phone, Will’s completely forgotten about the blind date deal he’d made with Kayla. That is until she texts him around three in the afternoon, asking if he’s got any plans. And he doesn’t quite have plans. He’s not about to tell her that he’d just put some pizza bagels in the oven for dinner and that he was just going to binge some show on Netflix before Nico calls.

“So he’s made reservations at this Italian place downtown,” Kayla says when Will calls her. He hadn’t even been able to tell her no. She’d just already started spouting information. “You just have to show up around seven. Nicely dressed. It’s kind of business casual.”

Will has no idea what that means.

“His name is Garret. He thinks you’re handsome. And he’s not creepy.”

“How did you meet this guy?” Will asks. He’s still not sure about Kayla’s methods. She was always trying to set people up, and he wasn’t sure how she could even keep all of the guys she met straight. (Or not, in Will’s case.)

“Found him on Tinder. Look, I know what you’re thinking. But you can still blame me one hundred percent if this goes badly, okay? He seems really nice.”  
“Anyone can seem nice on Tinder,” Will groans.

“I guess, but please? He said he’s already made reservations. Under your name.”

“Fine. Just remember this was your idea, and if I end up stuffed into a dumpster, it’s your fault.”

“I highly doubt that’ll happen,” she says. And then she hangs up. Will kind of wants to scream. He considers it for a moment. If he screamed, he’d definitely get a noise complaint and definitely might be late for his blind date. With Garret. But then he’d have that on his record, and he’s really saving those moments for when he needs them. Like maybe after this date that’s definitely going to go south. (And not in a good way.)

He’s finished his pizza bagels by four and sits around for the next several hours before he thinks that maybe he should check and see if he even has anything that could classify as business casual. He thinks about asking Nico what that means, but then he’d have to tell Nico that he was going on a blind date. Which maybe he should do.  
Will pulls out his phone, but then he stops. Nico had some sort of event tonight, and Will doesn’t want to interrupt that. What if Nico’s on stage or something and Will calls him to tell him about this blind date? No, he’ll just suck it up and get this over with. After tonight, he won’t have to do this again.

Maybe after tonight, he should just invent a fake boyfriend that’s very similar to Nico. It’s tempting.

Will gets there right at seven. He considered being late, but he doesn’t want to come across as a jerk. Though there’s no one there to judge him because Garret isn’t here yet. Will sits at the table, glancing at the other guests to make sure he dressed appropriately. He tries not to eat the entire basket of breadsticks himself. He really hopes Garret appears because the menu items are too expensive.

That and he doesn’t want to be responsible for the basket of breadsticks being empty.

After about half an hour, he gets a text from Kayla asking how the date is going. He sends her a picture of his nonexistent date. Kayla doesn’t respond. Will wonders if he could discretely exit the building. He wonders if he should leave a tip. The breadsticks were very good. He kind of wants another basket.

He’s just about to flag down the waiter to ask if he should tip for the bread when he sees a familiar face walking towards him. And it’s not Garret. (Actually, Will doesn’t even know what Garret looks like.)

“Nico?” Will whisper yells.

Nico raises his eyebrows, looking amused as he stops in front of Will’s table.

“Having a nice date?”

“It’s not what it looks like, I swear,” Will says. He’s about to continue when Nico lets out a laugh.

“You’re not sitting at a table alone scarfing down breadsticks?”

“Okay, it’s kind of what it looks like. What are you doing here?”

“Rescuing you,” Nico says, smiling. He sits across from Will, and Will’s pretty sure that they have at least half of the restaurant’s attention now. “Didn’t want my boyfriend to have to go on a date alone.”

“Boyfriend?” Will asks because he’s really not processing what’s happening right now.

“Significant other work better?” Nico teases.

“But- how did you know I was here?”

Nico shrugs. “Pays to have the paparazzi sometimes,” he says. Will glances around the room. “No, actually, I just got alerted when you made the reservation. Thought maybe you had chosen the next place, you know? And then you never told me about it.”

“I’m not cheating, I promise,” Will says. “Also, why did you get the alert?”

“I’ve got a friend who works here. She knows about us, and she said something about you making a reservation. And I just wanted to check on it since you never told me about it.”

“I’m not cheating, I promise,” Will says. “Also, who’s this friend?”

“Her name is Piper, and she’s one of the managers. And I didn’t think you were cheating. But maybe you could tell me why you’re sitting here alone eating breadsticks?”

Will huffs. “It’s Kayla’s fault.” He wants to kiss the growing smile on Nico’s face as he finishes up his explanation. “And I was just about to leave because it’s embarrassing that I just ate seven breadsticks by myself, Nico.”

Nico reaches across the table, taking the napkin out of Will’s hands. Will hadn’t even noticed that he was messing with it. “It’s okay. I know part of this is my fault.” He kisses Will’s hand. “Maybe after dinner we can discuss our relationship, think about being a little more open.”

Will hums. “Yeah, that’d be nice. Though I don’t want to get stalked and whatnot.”

Nico nods. “We can draw up a contract, I think. Dad’s pretty intimidating. I’m sure it’ll extend over to you once he hears that you’re my boyfriend.” Will smiles. “Now, are you hungry? Because I’m starving.”

Will laughs. “Kind of.”

Nico smiles at him, nodding. “Dinner’s on me, okay? Now let’s see about another basket of breadsticks.”

Will isn’t sure what’s going to happen next in their relationship, but he can’t wait to see Kayla’s face when he tells her about his blind date.


	3. always there for you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Nico are always there for each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings: character death (non-graphic car accident -- happens at the beginning), mentions of blood, survivor's guilt, implied depression, references to panic and anxiety attacks
> 
> please let me know if I need to tag anything else

Nico doesn’t remember exactly when he first met Will. If he’s being honest, it just feels like he’s always known Will. Like Will’s always been around. If he had to think about it, he thinks the first time he ever met Will was the night his sister died.

It’d been one of those classically rainy and stormy afternoons when one could barely see three feet in front of themselves. Bianca had gone to get the mail. Nico had trailed after her, splashing in all of the puddles. He must’ve lost sight of the driveway because the next thing he knew, he’s laying on the ground, headlights shining too brightly. He can hear his sister telling him that it’s okay.

It’s only later that he realizes what happened.

But at that moment, he’s thinking that he got hit by that car. There’s a man there, rambling incomprehensibly. He’s wearing a suit, and Nico can’t help but think that it’s going to be absolutely ruined from all of this rain. His dad had taught him from an early age to always take care of his nice things. But maybe this wasn’t the time for that.

Nico wonders why his sister doesn’t come over to him, why she’s not trying to hold his hand like she always does when he gets a boo-boo. He wonders why nothing hurts.

“Nico, it’s going to be okay,” Bianca said again. Only later, in his nightmares, does Nico catch the sight of blood clinging to her clothes. Only later does he realize that she was the one who was hit by the car. That he had somehow been saved.

Only later does he remember the other person at the scene of the accident: a boy about his age with hair too curly for that rainy day. And then he remembers the tears, tracing tracks down the boy’s face somehow. I’m sorry, he’d repeated over and over. And Nico won’t understand until later.

Unsurprisingly, Nico takes the guilt onto himself.  
-  
He’s curled up in bed the next time he sees the blond-haired boy. One moment he was alone, and the next, the boy was sitting at the foot of Nico’s bed. He didn’t seem to be doing anything, just looking around. It was a few seconds before his eyes fall on Nico.

“Oh, hi,” he says. “You’re Nico, right?”

Nico nods before remembering about stranger danger. Finding a surge of courage, he bolts to his mom’s room.

“Mama!” he yells. “Mama! There’s a stranger in my room!” His mom runs into the hallway, quickly pulling Nico into a hug. Nico’s ten years old, but he’s scared enough to seek comfort in his mom’s arms. The boy hasn’t followed him into the hallway.

“Who’s in your room?” his mom asks.

“A boy, Mama. He’s got blond hair like Jason, and he just appeared in my room.”

His mom smiles now, kissing Nico’s hair. “It’s alright, sweetheart. He’s your guardian angel.” She smooths back Nico’s hair, kissing him again. “Were you feeling sad again?”

Nico nods. He’d been missing Bianca. It’d only been two years since she had died, and he missed her almost every day. But today had been worse.

“He’s here to help you,” his mom says now. “He knows what you’re going through, too. Always.”

Nico sniffles. He doesn’t quite understand, but he feels safer when his mom comes with him to his room. The boy is still sitting on his bed.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he says. “I meant to appear outside first.” He looks a little embarrassed, his cheeks pink. “Oh, I’m Will. Your guardian angel.” And then he smiles.

“Go on, Nico. He won’t hurt you. Say hi.”

Nico gives a small wave. He doesn’t think he’s felt this shy since he had to introduce himself to all of his classmates at the beginning of the school year.

“I’m Nico.”

Will smiles. “Hi, Nico. Sorry for scaring you again. I’m still learning.”

Nico nods, glancing at his mom. She’s smiling. Slowly, Nico moves away from her, walking towards Will. He didn’t look scary, just like one of Nico’s classmates. He didn’t even have wings or a halo like Nico had seen in movies.

“Are you dead? Is this what happens when you die?”

Will shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe.” He pauses, glancing at Nico’s mom. “If you’re asking about your sister, I don’t know.”

Nico’s a little disappointed at this. But maybe he’s also glad. He’d feel upset if Bianca became a guardian angel and didn’t come back to visit him.

“So you’re like my friend now?”

Will beams. “Yeah, we can be friends. Best friends.” He holds out his hand. Nico shakes it. “Only, other people can’t always see me,” he adds.Nico stands there for a moment before sitting beside Will on the bed. His mom excuses herself to make them some hot chocolate. Nico wonders if Will should come over more since he loves hot chocolate before bed.

“Were you sad earlier?” Will asks. “I brought something I thought might help.”

Nico smiles a little when Will pulls a plush pink bunny from behind his back. It reminded him of the one that Bianca used to have. She’d lost it some years ago and had been really sad. Nico holds the plushy, petting its soft head with a finger.

“Bia used to have one like this,” he says quietly. “Hers was named Hoppy.” He looks at his own. “His name will be Floppy.”

Will smiles at this. They don’t do much for the rest of the night. They drink hot chocolate and play some with Nico’s toys. And then Nico has to go to bed because he’s got school in the morning. He’s a little sad, wondering if Will has to go home, too.

“I’m always around, Nico. You just have to call me, okay?”

Nico nods. His mom tucks him in, kissing his forehead. She kisses Will’s, too.

“Good night, Nico.”  
-  
Nico sees Will a few times over the next several years. He’s there when Nico really needs him and sometimes when Nico just needs a friend to hang out with. Apparently, he’s got other people to look after, too, but he tells Nico that Nico’s his favorite.

“But you can’t tell anyone, okay? I’m not supposed to play favorites.”

Nico rolls his eyes. As he’s grown up, Will has too. Now they’re both sixteen, and Nico’s just gotten his driver’s license. He’s driving them to get ice cream to celebrate his birthday and because Will’s never had ice cream.

“Ice cream is basically the best food, Will,” Nico says as he hands Will his cone. “I can’t believe you’ve never tried it.”

Will shrugs. “Angels don’t technically need to eat. And while I’m around for happy moments, most people kind of forget I’m there. And it’d be rude to just steal their ice cream.”

Nico thinks that’s kind of sad. He’s never forgotten Will, not since that night he’d shown up in Nico’s room. Now, whenever Will wasn’t with someone else, he was with Nico.

“Is it like teleporting?” Nico asks.

Will shrugs. “I don’t know. I’ve never teleported. Or maybe that’s exactly what I do.” He pauses. “It’s kind of like a tugging feeling. Like I’m just kind of pulled somewhere. And then I’m there.”

Nico’s seen it happen before. It happened once when Will was helping Nico study for a test. One moment Will had been reading off a flashcard. The next moment, he’d just been gone. Nico had panicked, thinking that something bad had happened to Will. Will was gone for about two hours before he came back to Nico’s, looking exhausted.

“Sorry. Guess there are a lot of tests happening right now,” Will had said.

Nico thought it was kind of sad that other people didn’t really want to hang out with Will. Once Will had done his job, they just kind of sent him away. But at least that meant he got to spend more time with Nico.

“So, how’s the ice cream? The best thing ever?”

Will grins. “It’s amazing, Nico. What’s this flavor again?”

“Fudge something,” Nico says. “You really like chocolate.”

Will hums. After that first night, hot chocolate had become their thing when Nico was feeling down. Someone would make two large mugs overflowing with whipped cream or marshmallows or both, and then they’d just hang out. It wasn’t uncommon for Nico’s mom or dad to walk in on them making hot chocolate.

“Chocolate’s good food. Perfect for all feelings.” Nico agrees.

“Hey, Will?” Nico asks. Will looks up, licking some chocolate off of his hand. “Do you like being my guardian angel?”

“Yeah, it’s the best.”

“Really? I’m probably way needier than your other charges.”

Will shrugs. “It’s not a bad thing to have feelings, Nico. And it’s not a bad thing to let people in. And I don’t mind. I love being with you. You’re always the favorite part of my day.”

“Yeah, but I’m sure the others aren’t calling on you so often,” Nico says. Will had been there for everything. Every nightmare, every panic and anxiety attack, every time Nico’s thoughts turned dark. He was even there for bad grades, failed tests, when Nico found his first pimple. And when Nico had come out to his parents and friends. Every major and minor thing, Will had been there for.

“I like when you call on me,” Will says. “If I weren’t an angel, I hope we’d still be best friends.” Will smiles at him before quickly licking at his ice cream cone. It was melting in the warmth of the ice cream shop. Nico snorts.

“You can tell me if it gets too much, though, okay?” Nico asks.

Will nods. “But I promise, Nico. It won’t be too much.”  
-  
Something was bothering Will, Nico knew. They were just hanging out today, doing nothing in particular. Nico had actually finished all of his homework, and now they were walking to the park. Nico thought it’d be fun to go to the playground, relive some childhood memories.

“Remember that time I broke up with my boyfriend?” Nico asks. Will looks confused.

“Yeah. You’re not getting back together with him, right?”

Nico laughs. “Gods, no. I don’t even know what happened to him. And don’t tell me.” Will closes his mouth. “But remember what I said that day?”

“That he was a jerk and that you’d never date a man with a beard again?” Will asks.

“The other thing, Will. The thing about being there for each other?” Will nods slowly. “So I want to be there for you. But I don’t know what’s wrong, so I don’t know how to help you.”

Will gives him a small smile. “Just hanging out with you helps, Nico,” he says. They stop to watch the ducks paddle around.

“Is it secret angel stuff?” Nico asks. Will hardly talked about his life as an angel. He always said it wasn’t too interesting aside from meeting people and the teleporting.

“No. It’s no secret.” Will runs a hand through his hair. “You know how in movies and books angels always come down to earth to help humans, and then they end up hating people because they just suffer so much?”

Nico nods slowly. He’s not sure where this is going, but he really hopes this isn’t Will breaking off their friendship. He doesn’t know what he’d do without Will. Sure, he has other friends. But Will was his best friend.

“Well, it’s the opposite for me. I can’t help but love humans. Even in their suffering. Because they’re so strong, you know? Angels, I mean, we can do a lot, but we don’t suffer. We can choose to feel your pain. Technically, we don’t even have to respond to your calls. So I can’t really imagine, except all this time I’ve spent with you, I feel like I’m beginning to. To learn what it’s like to be human. And it just kind of hurts.”

Nico looks at Will. He can’t imagine feeling everyone’s pain. He knew Will never ignored it, would answer every single call. On days where Will was just completely exhausted, they’d lay in Nico’s bed and watch movies or Nico would read to him. Sometimes, they’d go for long drives and blast music.

“But it doesn’t always hurt,” Nico says, echoing something Will once told him. Will’s mouth quirks up at this.

“No, sometimes it’s beautiful. A lot of times, it’s beautiful.” He steps forward, and Nico pulls him into a hug. “But sometimes, it’s hard. I see and feel all of this stuff, and I just want to make it all go away. But I can’t. I can’t heal. I can only be there.”

“That’s enough, Will,” Nico whispers.

He feels Will’s breath hitch. “I couldn’t even save you that day in the rain. Your sister saved you. I was just there to hold your hand because I thought you’d be the one getting hit.”

Nico feels tears spring to his eyes. He’d always known that he’d died in his sister’s place, that not even Will could have prevented the accident. And he’d finally come to terms with the fact that it wasn’t his fault. But he didn’t know that Will had been beating himself up over it, too.

“You didn’t know she was going to do that. And neither did her guardian angel.” He pulls back a little so he can look at Will. “And you’ve done so much for me. For everyone you meet. We all have regrets.”

This pulls a small smile from Will. “When did you get so wise?”

Nico laughs. “Well, I am a college student. You’d think all of that money I’m paying would bring some sort of education.”

Will rolls his eyes, resting his head on Nico’s shoulder. “You were smart before college, too.”

“Maybe.”

They hug for a few more seconds before pulling away. Will’s brushing away tears, and Nico remembers when he learned that angels could cry, too. He’d thought it was the saddest thing ever.

“You gonna be okay?” Nico asks. Will nods.

“Race you to the swings!”  
-  
“Do you think that this is weird?” Nico asks. Will shrugs.

“You couldn’t have asked that before I lugged this whole picnic here?”

Nico gives Will a playful shrug. “Well, I just realized how this looks. I mean, that basket could fit a whole body.”

“A very small body. And it’s not like we brought shovels.” Nico huffs.

“I guess you’re right.”

It was Nico’s idea to have a picnic. Everyone had been invited which really just meant Will and Nico’s family. It was Bianca’s birthday, and Nico wanted her to be in on the celebration. So they were having a picnic by her tombstone. Which on second thought could be a little weird.

“You’ll save me if we get kicked out of here, right?” Nico asks.

“Um, I’m not sure that’s really under my control,” Will says.

Nico pouts. Bianca was on a grassy plot overlooking a pond. There was a large maple tree there, and Nico rolls out the blanket under the leaves. Nico’s mom and dad would be joining them soon. They were getting the flowers. Will sits beside Nico, sighing.

“It’s a nice day. Happy birthday, Bianca!”

Nico elbows Will. “I’m supposed to say that first. I’m her brother.” Will looks sheepish.

“That was from Nico.”

Nico rolls his eyes. “Happy birthday, Bia. Ignore my annoying guardian angel.” Will pretends to look offended.

“That cannot be how you introduce us. I demand a reintroduction.”

Nico smiles, taking Will’s hand. He can see his parents walking up the hill now, a bouquet of flowers in their hand.

“Bia, this is Will, my guardian angel. He’s been watching over me these past several years, and I assure you he’s been doing a great job.” He leans in closer, whispering. “And you can’t tell him because he’ll just get a big head, but he’s the best guardian angel a boy could ask for.”

“What was that?” Will asks, grinning.

“I said that you’re the most annoying angel I’ve ever met.”

“Nico, lying to your sister isn’t good.” Nico rolls his eyes. He’s just started setting out the food when his parents get here. They smile, and Nico lets them have some time with Bianca. He’s proud that he’s finally gotten to the point where her memory is bittersweet. He’ll miss her every day, but he’s not mad anymore. It hurts, but that’s just what happens when you love someone who’s gone.

“Hello, Will,” Nico’s mom says. “I brought my chocolate pie.”

Nico laughs as Will’s eyes get big. “Sandwiches first, Will. I swear you stick around me for the food.”

Will shakes his head, mouth full already. “Never. Food doesn’t make me nearly as happy as you do.” He pulls Nico into a big hug, and Nico can see his mom and dad smiling.

“You’re so cheesy. I stand by my statement that angels write Hallmark cards.”

Will snorts. “Some of us are as grumpy as you, you know.”

“Hey! I’m not grumpy.”

“No, you’re not. I take it back. You’re adorable.”

Nico pauses, feeling himself blush. His parents are smiling at both of them. “Let’s just celebrate Bianca’s birthday, okay? Or I’ll eat all of the chocolate pie myself.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Will says.

“You can’t stop me,” Nico sings.

“But you’re my best friend,” Will says, looking mildly distressed now. “And best friends would save each other at least one slice.”

Nico pretends to think about it. “Okay. But only because you’re my best friend.” Will beams. “The best friend I could ever ask for.”


	4. sneaking around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will doesn't like to judge people, but his roommate is kind of suspicious.

Will isn’t sure what to think of his new roommate. Sure, he didn’t like to judge people based on first impressions, but Nico was leaving a lot of impressions. And Will wasn’t sure what to make of them. For starters, Nico dressed in all black. Which was perfectly fine. But Will was getting concerned that maybe Nico didn’t understand California weather. And Will had yet to glimpse a color that wasn’t brighter than navy blue coming from Nico’s closet. It was like he didn’t even own the color white which was a very common color.

Secondly, Nico was pretty much surgically attached to an electronic device at all times, his phone, his laptop, his smartwatch. Will wasn’t one to get paranoid, but there had been a lot of news articles about people spying on you from your devices. Plus, weren’t Nico’s eyes hurting from all of that screen time?

Thirdly, Nico was super secretive. He was always ending calls whenever Will walked into the room, shooting strange glances when they were out in public, freaking out if someone drew too much attention to him. At first, Will had just thought Nico was shy, but it became clear that Nico had a lot of friends. He just didn’t always like being seen with those friends. Which Will could kind of understand. They were all loud and brightly colored and calling him nicknames.

Fourthly, Nico was always out at weird times. Will often pulled all-nighters, but he was usually exhausted and dressed in the comfiest clothes he could find. Nico, on the other hand, was always fully dressed, mostly awake (if grumpy counted), and still glued to a glowing screen. Will knew some people liked to go out at night, but he was kind of getting concerned about Nico’s daily functions. When did he sleep? Go to class? Eat?

“You’ve been staring at me for the past twenty minutes, Solace,” Nico grumbles. He peels his eyes away from his laptop screen for about five seconds to glare at Will. The impact of the glare is lost in the other twenty billion times Nico’s done this since they’ve roomed together.

“Yeah, I’m just trying to figure out what’s on your screen that could be so important.”

“I’m writing a research paper on the origins of specific fairytales, and it requires complete focus and concentration,” Nico says.

“But what were you doing last week?” Will asks. He gets that he’s probably a little annoying, but he was really curious. And this was probably the first straightforward answer he’s ever gotten from Nico.

“It might surprise you, but I’ve got a lot of homework. Probably just like you do. So could you let me focus? This is due soon.”

Will hums, looking at his own laptop screen. There wasn’t much on it. Just a lot of papers and downloaded articles that he had yet to actually read. He didn’t find his computer nearly as addicting as Nico did, often forgetting it until he had just locked the door.

“Would you want to get some pizza with me?” Will asks. “It’s almost two, and neither of us has eaten.”

“I’ve eaten,” Nico says without looking up.

“When?”

“Um, at breakfast. Like most people.”

Will rolls his eyes. “Well, it may surprise you, but most people eat at least twice a day. And sometimes even three times a day or more. So pizza?”

Nico fixes him with another glare, but this one is halfhearted. This was a well-oiled practice of theirs. Will was always trying to pull Nico away from his screens, and Nico was probably just waiting for the day Will tired of this. Too bad he didn’t know the extent of Will’s stubbornness yet.

“Fine. But you’re paying.”

Will doesn’t care. Nico always said this, and then he usually ended up paying for it, insisting that he probably had more to throw around on things like pizza. Which Will never minded, but he did wonder where Nico was getting all of this money. Will had money to buy food and other necessary items, but he didn’t have money like Nico did. He wonders if maybe Nico’s in some sort of secret gang or mob or his father is an undercover villain and robs banks in his free time.

Or something like that. All signs pointed to the possibility.

They head to what Will likes to think of as Nico’s favorite pizza place. It’s the only place Nico will go when Will suggests pizza, and Will’s fine with that. As long as Nico sets aside his electronics for at least half an hour and actually eats something other than frozen dinners, he’s cool.

“So, um, how’d your exam go?” Nico asks. “That was this week, right?”

Will laughs. “Sort of. It was on Friday. But it went well. I only had to guess on maybe three questions.”

Nico nods. “That’s good. I know you were always studying for it.”

It’s times like this that Will knows that Nico does pay some sort of attention to the world around him. Although, any blind fool could probably tell that what Will did most of his time was studying. It wasn’t like these pizza excursions were just for Nico.

“Yeah, I really hope I get a good grade. It’ll take a lot of pressure off for the final.”

“You’re already thinking about that?” Nico asks. “That’s like weeks away.”

Will shrugs. “Yeah, but the grades are cumulative. So if I get good grades now, it’s less stress at the end.”

“Well, if you get a bad grade, just let me know. I’ll make it better.”

Will’s not sure what Nico’s hinting at first. “Wait. Like hack into the system? That’s cheating.”

“Only if I get caught,” Nico says, shrugging. “Besides, it’s not really cheating. You work really hard at school, so you deserve a good grade.”

Will tries not to think too hard on this. He’s known Nico for maybe two months, and this is the most he’s gotten out of Nico in forever.

“Well, thanks. But promise me no hacking, okay? I don’t want you to get thrown out of school because of me.”

“I don’t think you’re giving me enough credit, Solace. I’m a master.”

Will thinks he should be with all the time he spends on his laptop. Seriously, was Nico just super into video games? There was no way he could have that much homework. And Will knew Nico didn’t read for fun. He tended to lean towards audiobooks and music for that stuff.

Their pizza arrives, and Nico practically devours it confirming Will’s theory on Nico’s appetite.

“Hey, this is my slice!” Will whines when Nico grabs a pepperoni off of it.

“Yeah, but mine was so empty. Look! Only one pepperoni and two small bits of mushroom.”

Will huffs. “Fine. You’ve already touched it.” Nico beams, shoving the whole slice into his mouth. Will wonders if this is he and Nico becoming friends. He hopes so.  
-  
Will’s grown used to falling asleep to the glow of a laptop screen which is why on Wednesday when he walks in and Nico’s reading an actual book, he’s more than surprised.

“Nico, you’re evolving!”

Nico shoots him a glare. “People are sleeping, Solace. And, yes, I can read.”

“Well, I knew you could read. I just didn’t know you actually did it.”

“I’m a lit major,” Nico says. Which Will knew, but he just assumed that Nico preferred audio books to tangible copies. There was nothing wrong with that.

“So is this book good?” Will asks. He’s been subject to very few book reports from Nico, but he loves them. Nico would ramble for hours without even realizing it, and Will was just so impressed. He read for fun, but he never really analyzed them. And then after Nico’s rambling, Will would go and check out that book to see if he could find half the stuff Nico did. He never did.

“I’m only thirty pages in, but it seems good,” Nico says. His eyes are now glued to the page. “I’ll let you know when I’ve finished.”

Will leaves him in peace then, deciding that he could probably get some homework done before going to bed. He’s just memorized way too much information when Nico looks up triumphantly.

“Ah ha!”

“Yes?” Will asks.

Nico’s scribbling something down, already pulling his laptop towards him. There’s a furious clicking of keys, and then he slams the book shut. “I’ve finished,” he says, looking happy.

“The book? Already?” Will glances at the clock. He assumes Nico’s a fast reader, but there’s no way he just finished the book in an hour. He had at least two hundred pages left.

“Um, no,” Nico says. “Just the section I needed.”

Will nods. “So you’re not going to continue?”

Nico shrugs. “Maybe. It hasn’t gotten too interesting yet. Maybe this weekend?”

Will doesn’t press. He knows it’s okay to put a book down if one didn’t like it. He wonders what Nico was frantically typing up on his computer. Maybe he’d had some book report and had left it for last minute? That didn’t really sound like Nico. He was like Will, he liked to get things done way before the due date.

Will’s thrown even more off when Nico climbs into bed before him, closing his laptop. Nico never went to bed before Will, and he never closed his laptop screen. He always left it just a bit cracked so that he could wake it up whenever he needed to do whatever he did in the early hours of the morning.

Maybe Nico was turning over a new leaf, Will thinks. Maybe he’s starting to actually take care of himself. Will, inspired by Nico’s self-care decides to turn in early, too. He finds it just a bit weird as the room plunges into almost darkness, but he soon falls asleep.  
-  
So, Nico’s self-care only lasted about a week. And from there, it only got worse. Nico was always in the room unless he had class or Will was dragging him out to get something that wasn’t frozen beforehand. Will had even had to remind Nico about his lit class one afternoon when Nico was starfished on his bed, laptop on his stomach as he was scrolling mindlessly through something that looked a lot like code. (Maybe a hobby? A job?)

And now Will has just walked into the room to see Nico huddled over not just his own laptop but also Will’s.

“Um, isn’t that mine?” Will asks slowly.

Nico doesn’t even acknowledge him, just continues to click away at something on Will’s screen. And Will panics for a moment, trying to remember if he saved his fifteen-page essay the night before just in case something happens to his laptop.

“Hey, Nico? What’cha doing?” Will asks again.

“Oh, Solace!” Nico says, startling a little. “I’m just downloading some software to protect against viruses.” It doesn’t sound bad, but it’s also something that’s completely against everything Will knows about Nico. Nico would never touch Will’s personal belongings without asking first. Just the other day, he’d eaten some of Will’s pizza bagels (he had weaknesses, okay?) by mistake and had gotten three more boxes just to make up for it.

So Nico would never touch and then download stuff onto Will’s laptop without even asking first.

“Don’t tell me you’re hacking into the school’s database,” Will says. “I promise that a B isn’t bad. I just forgot to study one section.”

“About that,” Nico says. “No, I didn’t change your grades. But, yes, I’m kind of in the school’s database.”

Will wonders if he should report this to someone. DIdn’t Nico just confess to a crime? Was that even a crime? What made something a crime? Being against the law or having someone know you did something against the law? Why was this so confusing all of a sudden?

“Why?” is all Will can say.

Nico holds up a finger, and Will waits. “Can I tell you when I’m done? I promise I won’t break your laptop. I even emailed your paper to you just in case something goes wrong.”

Will should be relieved, but he’s not. “Right. I’ll just read a book or something.” Instead, he makes popcorn and eats it as quietly as he can while he waits for Nico to stop doing confusing stuff on his computer. When he finishes the popcorn, he moves on to Nico’s bookshelf, looking for something to read. The bookshelf had been announced as a shared item as long as Will put everything back where he’d found it. Despite almost never having seen Nico hold a book, Nico had quite a collection of books. Most of them were classics and novels for his class.

Will finds the book that Nico had been reading the other day, opening it. He glances at Nico to see if he was paying attention. Will’s about forty pages in when he sees Nico’s handwriting around the edges of the pages. He can’t really understand it. Random stuff is circled and underlined on the pages. He’s seen this before in other books, but he’d just ignored it. He wasn’t a lit major, and he didn’t understand Nico’s ways of thinking.

But with this and now Nico hijacking his laptop, he wonders if there isn’t something else going on. Will squints at the circled and underlined stuff, trying to make sense of it. Since he’s a bit stressed about whatever Nico’s doing, his focus isn’t helping his dyslexia at all. He has to stop and breathe for a few seconds before the letters stop moving faster than normal.

He’s just made out a few possible words when Nico spins around in his chair.

“Done. I assume you have questions now.”

Will nods. “Yeah. What just happened?”

Nico fiddles with the ring around his finger. “Um, just going through the school’s database and such. I used the incognito mode and some cloaking stuff so they won’t be able to trace it. And I’m pretty good at this stuff, so it’s all good. Nothing to worry about.”

“But what were you doing in there to begin with? And if you’re so good, why couldn’t you have used your own laptop?” Will realizes he’s gesturing with Nico’s book, so he puts it down. “Also, I’m not angry. I’m just confused. Or maybe I’m a little angry. Since you just used my laptop to hack into the school’s database.”

Nico gives a small sigh. “First off, keep your voice down. Second, sorry. I would have asked, but you were in class, and I know you don’t like it when I text you in class.”  
Nico never texted him. “And third?” Will asks.

“And third, I needed my laptop for something related, so I had to use yours.” Nico runs a hand through his hair. “At home, I have this whole set up, so it’s a lot easier. Again, sorry. I promise your laptop is fine. And so is your enrollment here.”

Will allows himself to breathe. “So you never said what you were doing.”

“Right.” Will waits. “Well, you see, if I tell you that, I might have to kill you.” Will’s not sure if Nico’s telling the truth. He’d like to think Nico was because he doesn’t like the idea of Nico lying to him. But he also doesn’t like the idea of dying.

“Please, Nico? What about all of our pizza dates and trips to the park?”

“Those were dates?” Nico asks, his cheeks coloring.

“Um, I just meant, like, outings. Dates. Purely platonic,” Will stammers.

“Well, I’d really hate to kill a potential crush,” Nico says slowly.

“Wait, what?”

Nico rolls his eyes, laughing. “I like you. I thought that was obvious.”

“Um, no. Not really. I had to practically beg you to eat pizza with me. And don’t distract me. You were saying about the school’s database?”

“Look, you really can’t tell anyone, okay? Or I’m being completely serious when I say that we might die. And, gods, it’s a good thing you’re cute because I’m definitely risking my job and life for you when I say this.”

“That I’m cute?” Will asks.

“That I just hacked into the school’s database, Solace. Though saying you’re cute out loud is way more embarrassing.” Nico takes a deep breath, and Will tries to school his expression. He’s way too giddy at being called cute. Nico was so cute. “So I’m kind of an undercover agent, and I’m kind of here to spy on one of the students here. But I’m also a student here, so that part wasn’t a lie. And I needed your computer to switch some files around on the database.”

“And the thing about me being cute?”

“Will, I just told you I’m basically a spy, and all you want to know is if I think you’re cute?”

Will hums. “Well, we can talk about the other thing, too. But I’m getting kind of hungry. Want some pizza?”

“Like a date?” Nico asks.

Will shrugs. “Sure.”

Nico beams. “I know just the place.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi all :) hope you're enjoying solangelo week :) feel free to leave comments/feedback :)
> 
> (also, I take prompts if you want to drop any off)


	5. playdate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will needs a babysitter last minute. Nico offers to help.

Nico’s just finished a chapter when a blond guy and a little girl come bursting through the front door. Nico resists the urge to raise his eyebrows since he’s supposed to be giving off a welcoming aura, and he doesn’t want to automatically judge someone. But people don’t usually burst into bookstores, and Nico definitely knows this man.

Well, not knows per se. But he’s seen this man come into the store a handful of times, usually to drop off his kid before heading to work. And Nico doesn’t mind because he’s never the one in charge of watching her. Instead, he’s got the boring job of sitting behind the counter and sometimes doing inventory.

Which is fine except Nico’s pretty sure Lou Ellen isn’t working today.

“Hi, do you know where Lou is?” Nico’s pretty sure his name is Will.

“She’s not working today,” Nico says. He hears Will curse quietly.

“Okay, that’s not good.” He pulls out his phone, cursing again when he finds (or doesn’t find) whatever he’s looking for. “Right, she’s on vacation this week.” Nico sees Will glance at his daughter before running a hand through his hair. Nico would really like to run a hand through Will’s hair, especially if it’d help him calm down. Nico doesn’t think it would right now.

“What’s wrong, Daddy?” the little girl asks.

“Lou Ellen isn’t here to watch you, and I’m going to be late for work.”

The girl nods, looking up at Nico with her big blue eyes. “Nico can watch me,” she says, and Nico had no idea the little girl even knew his name.

“Are you sure?” Will asks, and Nico doesn’t know who he’s asking. “Nico looks like he’s the only one working today.”

“Um, I can watch her,” Nico hears himself saying. He’s not busy at the moment, and he’s pretty sure the little girl will be pretty easy to watch. Lou never complained about her, and sometimes Nico forgot the little girl was even here until Will came back to pick her up.

“Are you sure?” Will repeats. “I’m so sorry about this. I can pay you.”

Nico nods. “It’s fine. She can help me sort books. Or color or read,” Nico adds, not sure if Will’s okay with him putting his daughter to work at such a young age. He’s not exactly sure how old the little girl is. She looks to be about five.

“Gods, thank you so much. I owe you, okay? Seriously, call me if you need me to pick her up or anything, okay?” Will scribbles down his number, and Nico takes a moment to realize that he doesn’t have to plan ways to ask for Will’s number now. Not that he’ll ever be able to use it since it’s only for babysitting emergencies.

“I love you, sweetie,” Will says, bending down to hug his daughter. “I’ll be back in a few hours, okay? Be good for Nico.” He kisses her forehead, smiling as he looks at Nico. “Thank you so much again.”

“Bye, Solace. You’re going to be late.”

Will’s eyes widen, and then he’s running out the door. Nico smiles, rolling his eyes.

The little girl is watching Nico now, resting her head on the counter.

“Right, so what do you want to do?” Nico asks. He doesn’t have much experience with children. The only children he comes into contact with regularly are other people’s kids, and their parents don’t usually leave them unattended in the store. And also Annabeth and Percy’s child, but she’s just turned one.

“I can help you,” the girl says. “I help Lou all the time.” She smiles now, and Nico realizes that she’s got the same smile as her dad. Nico considers what he can have her do. They’ve just gotten a new shipment of books in yesterday that he hadn’t had time to organize. He supposes he could get her to sort through things. That’s not child labor, is it? He really doesn’t want to get sued.

“Alright. I guess you can follow me.” He checks the door before heading towards the back. Opening the boxes, he explains how he wants the books organized. “You can just make neat piles for me, okay? Make sure all of the books match.”

Nico’s about to walk away when he realizes that he’s probably supposed to watch the child. Sighing, he decides to move her to the children’s area, so he can still see her and the door from his desk. Because he’s technically not supposed to leave the desk unless helping a customer.

“I’m Nora,” the girl says as she sits in one of the bean bag chairs. She holds out her hand, and Nico wishes all children were this polite.

“Nico.”

“I know,” Nora says. “My daddy talks about you sometimes.”

Nico startles. “Good things, I hope?”

Nora nods. “Yup. He says you and Lou Ellen are friends.” Nico shrugs. He and Lou Ellen could be considered co-workers or acquaintances. They definitely don’t hang out outside of work or really talk to each other all that much. They co-exist.

“Where does your dad work?” Nico asks. He’s not snooping, just trying to make conversation.

“In the lab,” Nora says. She’s looking at the small stack of books she’s just made, making sure the corners all line up. Honestly, it makes Nico happy that she’s paying so much attention to her job. “He mixes stuff and has to clean a lot of dishes.”

Nico hums. Sometimes Will came in wearing a white lab coat, his ID still pinned to the front pocket. Nico never thought he had much of a thing for a man in uniform until that day. Will had just looked so professional and smart. He’d even had reading glasses slipping down his nose as he apologized to Lou Ellen for being late again.

“Do you work here?”

“Yup. Would you like to work here, too?”

Nora nods. “I am working. Just like you.” She pauses. “When do I get to read behind the counter?”

Nico stops himself from pouting. Did this little girl just call him out? “I do other stuff, too. I just have to be there in case a customer walks in. So that they can ask me questions if they want.”

“What kinds of questions?”

“Questions about books. That’s why we’re organizing them. So that the customers can find their books easily.”

Nora stands up to stack more books, still making sure that it’s a perfect stack. “Where are you going to put these?”

“Probably in the front. They’re new, so a lot of people might be looking for them.”

“Can we make a tower? I saw that in the library when Daddy took me. It was really cool.”

“Sure, Nora. We can make a tower.”

It’s another ten minutes before she’s got two stacks, almost taller than herself. Nico’s butt’s gone numb from sitting on the floor this whole time, but he’s not complaining. He sets up a table at the front of the store, letting Nora choose the colors of the table cloth. Then he enlists her help in carrying the books. She carries three books to his seven, but he’s not going to complain when it’s clear that she’s way more excited about all of this.

“So how do we make a tower?” Nico asks.

“I thought you knew,” Nora says. She looks between the table and the books. “My daddy can stack cups in a tower. Maybe it works the same way for books.”

Nico nods slowly. “Why does your dad stack cups?” He hopes the question isn’t as rude as it sounds.

“Sometimes he gets bored,” is all Nora says, already starting the tower. Nico starts to get the hang of it when she makes the second level. He hopes that through some miracle that they have exactly the right amount of books. Then he has to finish the tower when it gets too tall for Nora to reach the top.

“I think this was a good idea,” he says.

“But what about these?” Nora asks. She’s holding up three books that didn’t make it. Nico stands them up in front of the tower.

“They’ll be like guards,” he says.

Nora beams, clapping her hands.

After that first tower, Nora lets Nico handle the second stack. When that’s all said and done, Nora’s hungry.

“I don’t really have food,” Nico says. He knew kids got hungry, but he hadn’t been planning on feeding one today. It was after lunch, and he’d be done with his shift before dinner. Wait, when was Will done with work?

“When does your dad come back to pick you up?”

“Five-thirty,” Nora says. “And I’ll be really hungry by then. May I have a snack, please?”

Nico sighs, considering his options. He’s already looked in the staff fridge, but someone cleaned it out just yesterday so it’s empty. All he has is water, and he’s pretty sure that won’t appease Nora’s request. There’s a bakery just across the street, but Nico’s not sure if what he’s allowed to feed Nora and what he’s not.

“Do you have any allergies?” Nico asks. “What food do you usually have for snack?”

Nora thinks for a moment. “I’m not allowed to have peaches,” she says. “Daddy usually has fruit snacks. Or crackers. If it’s a special day, we have muffins.”

Nico nods. He can do muffins. “Why don’t we go across the street and get a snack, okay? And then we’ll bring it back here and have like a picnic?”

“On the floor?”

“Yup.”

Nora doesn’t seem impressed by the picnic idea, but she seems pleased that they’re going to the bakery. She takes a big sniff once they’re inside, almost immediately running over to the display case.

“There are so many options!”

Nico smiles. “Do you see the muffins? Which one do you want?”

Nora takes her time deciding, and Nico figures it’s okay. This wasn’t a very busy day or time for the store, so he wasn’t worried about disappointing customers. That and everyone seemed to be doing online orders now.

“I want the chocolate chip one,” Nora says, tapping his arm. “Please.”

Nico pays for two muffins, holding Nora’s hand as they head back across the street. He watches as Nora cuts her muffin in half, asking Nico to wrap one half in the paper bag.

“What for?”

“For Daddy. He’s always hungry when he picks me up,” Nora says. “And he really likes muffins. Especially chocolate ones.”

Nico smiles. Nora was a cute kid (even with chocolate all over her face). Though she and Will had been coming into this store for at least a year (ever since Lou Ellen got hired), he hadn’t ever gotten to know them. They were Lou Ellen’s friends, so they’d been introduced, but Nico usually manned the store whenever Nora was around.

That didn’t stop Nico from daydreaming about Will striking up a conversation while Lou Ellen and Nora said their goodbyes or somehow figuring out Will’s favorite book or maybe Will subtly sliding Nico his number. And now Nico had Will’s number. For purely emergency purposes only, of course.

“Are you and Daddy friends?” Nora asks. She’s somehow made a mini mess of her muffin. Well, Nico needs to sweep the floor anyway.

“Not really,” Nico says, and Nora looks sad.

“Why not?”

Nico shrugs. “We don’t really know each other very well.”

“But you see each other every week. Sometimes more!” She pauses. “I see my friends every day ‘cept in the summer. And then we have playdates almost every week.”

“What do you do during your playdates?” Nico asks, trying to steer the conversation away.

“Usually we just go over to each other’s houses. Last week, we went to the zoo for Lily’s birthday. My favorite animal was the penguins.” Nora laughs, standing up to imitate the penguin’s waddle. “Wait, you and Daddy could have playdates. Then you would be friends.”

Nico smiles. “I don’t know. We both have to work.”

“Daddy doesn’t work next week. The school’s on a break. And then we can do fun things all week!” Nora dances around at this, settling back down to eat the rest of her muffin.

“I guess we’ll see, okay?” He doesn’t want to disappoint her, but he also doesn’t want to be disappointed.

“I’ll ask Daddy for you,” she says.

After her snack, Nora seems more full of energy somehow. She runs around the store until a customer comes in. Then she sits in the kid’s section and reads. Nico finally returns to his own book, but now he finds himself losing focus. It’s nearing time for his shift to be over and for Will to be coming in and doesn’t want to look like he’s been ignoring Nora.

When Will does finally come back, Nico’s in the bathroom.

“Sorry, I promise I was watching her,” he says when he gets to the front.

“I believe you,” Will says, smiling. “Nora’s been telling me about your exciting day. Thank you for watching her. I owe you.”

“Nonsense. It was fun. Nothing owed.”

“Are you sure?”

“Daddy, I saved you a muffin!” Nora says. She proudly hands the bag to Will, beaming.

“Thank you, sweetie. Tell Nico thank you for letting you hang out.”

“Thank you, Nico!” She hugs him.

They’re about to head out when Nora stops. “Wait, Daddy, you and Nico need to plan a playdate.”

It takes a moment for them to both recover, but Will gets there first. “Why?”

“So you two can be friends. Nico and I are already friends, but he said that you two aren’t. And I want us all to be friends. Can we go to the zoo next week? Nico can come with us, and I can show him the penguins. Please?”

Will looks at Nico, silently asking for his opinion.

“You’re more than welcome to come along,” Will says. “Though we weren’t exactly planning on the zoo. I thought we were going on a picnic, Nora.”

Nora shakes her head. “Nico and I already had a picnic. With our muffins. He hasn’t been to the zoo.”

“She’s got me there. I’ve never been to the zoo.”

Nico can see the shock on Will’s face before he carefully masks it. “Well, now you have to come,” Will says, his cheeks a bit pink. “You’re more than welcome to join us.”

“Um, sure, why not?” Nico can’t believe this is actually happening.

“I’ll text you the details, okay? I look forward to our playdate, Nico. C’mon, Nora, say goodbye to Nico.”

“See you later, Nico!”

Nico smiles. He definitely doesn’t almost squeal when he gets the text from Will later. Maybe kids weren’t so bad.


	6. made to love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Nico are there for each other. (this is kinda sad)

Nico was out way later than he wanted to be, but his shift had just ended. Finally. He was starting to think that he was getting too old for this, though he was only in his mid-twenties. Something about having two jobs with inconsistent hours really did it. Not to mention how both of those jobs required him to use a special skill of his that could be especially draining.

Wanting nothing more than to just crawl into bed and sleep, Nico heads towards his apartment. He lived in a shadier side of town, but he didn’t mind so much. When his mind was this tired, he could hardly hear the nightmares seeping through. He felt bad that he couldn’t cure all of them, but it wasn’t his job to save everyone.

He’d had to learn that a long time ago.

Nico makes it to his door before he’s hit with a particularly strong emotion. Fear. And it’s not his. Unless he takes care of this, he won’t be able to sleep tonight. This nightmare isn’t going away for a while. Nico sighs, phasing through the door to find a man curled up on his couch. He was asleep, his eyes squeezed shut, his hands clamped around what looked like a dinosaur plushie. It would have been cute if it didn’t tug on Nico’s heartstrings so.

He wishes he wasn’t able to delve into people’s nightmares. His own were enough. But he had this amazing ability, and he knows it’d be selfish to keep it for himself.

Reaching out a shaking hand, he gently touches the man’s forehead. The man flinches slightly before settling down. Nico’s mind instantly fills with pain, and he does his best to sort through every emotion. If he were more rested, this would be easier. As it is, he’s overcome with the despair and grief that’s currently filling this man. It feels so much like his own that Nico has to take a moment.

He pushes it all aside, trying to come up with a pleasant dream for this man. Often, it’s obvious, but his tired mind is lacking in the creativity department right now. He really needs some sleep.

Nico remembers the dinosaur clutched in the man’s hands, deciding to insert a cute snippet from that new Disney dinosaur movie. The one with the green dinosaur and that kid. Hopefully, this man has seen that movie. Nico watches as the man’s body relaxes, his fingers dropping the plushie on the ground.

Nico picks it up, tucking the man in before heading back to his own apartment. He tries to shake off that man’s emotions, his nightmare. He never got to actually see the nightmare, but the effect was enough. Nico hops in the shower.

He’d been doing this for as long as he could remember. It wasn’t the best job, especially when the rest of his life was already pretty crappy. But he did what he could.  
-  
Will’s on his way to work when he spots his cute neighbor. Will’s friends thought he was kind of crazy to be crushing on this guy, but Will knew there was more to this guy than appearances. And a grumpy attitude. Sure he came off as dark and brooding, but Will was sure that this guy had a heart of gold. Or at least silver. Whatever.

“Hey,” Will says, waving.

His neighbor startles, almost dropping his keys as he gives Will a small wave back. Will smiles as they start walking down the stairs together. It was a bit annoying that the elevator was broken, but Will wasn’t a mechanic and Leo was off on some kind of secret vacation apparently.

“Life been good?” asks his neighbor, and Will blinks in surprise. His neighbor never spoke to him. Their entire relationship up to this day had consisted of waves and facial expressions and one-sided conversation.

“Yeah, it’s been good,” Will says. He’s not sure this is quite the time to spill whole-truths, so he settles for a half-truth. “You?”

“Could be better,” Neighbor says. “But it’s not bad.”

“Well, I hope it gets better for you,” Will says. “Everyone deserves some happiness in their lives.”

Neighbor smiles at him. “You, too.” He pauses. “I’m Nico.”

“Will.” He glances at the street. “I’ve got a bus to catch, but it’s been nice talking to you. Don’t be a stranger!”

He wants to smack himself in the face for being awkward, but he refrains. He’s already exhausted, and work is already hard enough as it is.

When Will had signed on to be an intern at the local hospital, he’d been expecting to do less medical stuff. Sure, he wanted to do medical stuff, but that’s not what interns did. That’s what trained doctors did. Will wasn’t a trained doctor. Yet.

Instead of cleaning and running messages and generally checking on patients, Will was thrown right into the job. He assisted patients on his own, getting to know them well. Sometimes even better than the visitors they had. He had to wipe their noses, their bottoms, their backs. He knew which medicines they took, what the side-effects were, which ones didn’t have anyone to visit them.

And it all took a toll on him. Will loves his job, but it’s hard. It’s so hard to just fall absolutely in love with someone who’s already at the end of their life. And there’s nothing Will can do to keep their heart beating or to slow his own down. So he keeps showing up for work.

Will makes his rounds, trying to keep up a professional manner. Everything slips the first moment he walks into Mrs. Honeycutt’s room. She’s an elderly lady, her only visitor an orange tabby cat that someone from her former assisted living home brings out every day. It makes Will want to adopt her as his grandma just so she’s got someone other than a cat on her list.

But it’s still sweet.

“How are you this morning, Mabel?” he asks.

“Good, good,” she says, grinning. “You found yourself a boyfriend yet?”

Will laughs. “Not yet. Still looking.” He thinks back to Neighbor. He has to admit that he’s got a minor crush on him. Or maybe a slightly more than minor crush on him. And they just had their first conversation today! “How’s your breathing?”

“Good. Haven’t stopped yet,” she says, laughing. It’s a ragged laugh, but Will’s grateful for it nonetheless. He goes through his routine with her, leaving just as her cat comes in. He’s already exhausted, and it’s only nine in the morning.

By lunchtime, he finds himself hiding in the staff lounge. His third patient has just taken a turn for the worst, and his afternoon shifts are canceled when one of his patients dies. So he’s hiding here because he’s not sure what he’ll do if he goes home. Probably just cry alone. At least here he’s got people around.

Will eventually makes himself go home after picking up a frozen pizza on the way. He’s popping it in the oven when he hears a knock on his door.

“Oh, Nico, hey.”

“Um, hi. Some of your mail was in my box.” He holds out an envelope.

“Thanks. Want to, um, come in? I’m making dinner.” Nico seems to hesitate before nodding.

“Sure. Beats eating alone, I guess.” That’s exactly what Will was thinking.

It’s quiet while Will takes the pizza out of the oven. He’s glad he got the family size, though his original intent had been leftovers. Oh well. Not eating alone was better than reheated leftovers.

“So, you work?” Nico asks.

“Yeah, at the hospital. Paid internship.”

Nico nods. “Is it good? I mean, do you like it?”

Will shrugs. “Yeah. It’s a lot of work, but I like it.” He’s just not so sure he’s going to be able to give his heart out in pieces every day for the rest of his life. Or, at least, until retirement. “You?”

“I work at a bar. It’s supposed to be temporary, but I’ve kind of forgotten to look for other jobs.” He shrugs, picking up a slice of pizza.

“Yeah, that’s kind of how I landed this internship.”

They talk about nothing really, seeming to agree not to breach the harder topics. Will asks about family, but Nico shuts that topic down. Nico asks further about work, but Will can’t bring himself to think of it right now. They end up watching a movie on Will’s ratty couch.

It’s nice being around someone who’s not outright dying or trying to save someone. There’s less pressure, obviously, but there’s something about Nico that’s just calming. His voice is soft, lightly accented. He moves slowly but surely. Will falls asleep with his head on Nico’s shoulder.  
-  
It becomes a routine. They would take turns hosting dinner. Dinner wasn’t usually more than a quick meal. Sometimes Nico would cook. Oftentimes, they were both too tired to really do much more than pop something in the microwave or oven or make sandwiches. So it wasn’t healthy, but it was social.

And Nico really needed someone to talk to and just be around.

After learning about his ability to control dreams, he’d isolated himself. He didn’t know how to control the dreams, but they came to him. Some were okay, but the nightmares were the worst. He’d wake up screaming in the middle of the night from fears that weren’t even his. And then one day, he had his own.

Relieving Will’s nightmares have also become a routine. Will would often fall asleep, and Nico would stick around to make sure Will would have sweet dreams. Then he’d quietly tuck Will in and head home. Or if Will fell asleep at his place, he’d simply take Will home and tuck him in.

Will looked like an angel asleep, and Nico wished he knew what plagued Will every night. Did he have a bad childhood? A crappy boyfriend? Was life just mean to him? If Nico knew the answer, he would be better able to steer Will’s nightmares away.

But as it was, Nico was content with watching over Will’s dreams. After all, he couldn’t just ask what Will’s nightmares were about, right?

They’re in their third week of the routine when Will’s just fallen asleep. They’re in Will’s apartment, and Nico gets up quietly to clean up their dishes. It’d been lo mein from the take-out place around the corner. Nico puts everything into Tupperware containers and cleans the counter. By the time he’s done, Will’s got silent tears streaming down his face.

Nico gives a sad sigh, touching Will’s forehead lightly. He’s so caught up in rifling through the emotions that he doesn’t immediately notice Will looking back at him.

“Nico?”

“Oh, sorry, you were crying,” Nico says quickly.

“Thought you were gonna kiss me,” Will mumbles, shifting. He blinks at Nico, a few more tears escaping.

“Why are you crying, Will?” Nico asks. He’s still got a gentle hand in Will’s hair. Will tugs at the blanket that Nico’s thrown over him.

“Everyone dies,” Will says. He looks like a scared child in the glowing light of whatever movie they put on. “I keep loving them. Even after they’re all gone.”

Nico’s not sure what to say at first. He deals in dreams, not real-life emotions. Will sits up, tugging the blanket around him. Nico sits beside him, and Will leans in immediately. The hug feels so natural after all of these nights and nightmares.

“I love my job,” Will says. “But it’s so hard. I can’t save them.”

Nico hums. This is something he’s familiar with. “I know what you mean,” he says softly. Will’s head is resting on his shoulder, and Nico places a feather-light kiss to Will’s hair. “You keep helping but nothing changes.”

“I just want it to stop. I wish I were strong like the other doctors.”

Nico shakes his head. “They probably cry, too, Will. And if they don’t, it’s because they’re trying to protect themselves. No one can escape heartbreak.”

“Not even you?” Will asks.

“Nope. But this helps,” Nico says. “Being here with you. Talking about it.”

“DIdn’t know you were so smart.”

“Hey,” Nico laughs softly. Now that he knows what’s haunting Will, he’s able to sort efficiently through the emotions. “It’s not a fault to want to love everyone. But we can’t save everyone. It’s just not what we’re made to do.”

“What are we made to do?” Will asks. He looks so sleepy right now, but his tears have dried.

“We’re made to love. Even if it’s not easy.”

Nico brushes back Will’s hair, smiling a little at Will’s droopy eyelids. He still looks like an angel, tears and all.

“Will you stay the night?” Will asks. “I can make breakfast.”

Nico nods. “Of course, Will.” He kisses Will’s hair again, catching Will’s smile before he yawns. “Sweet dreams.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> technically, nico's secret power is that he can manipulate dreams, I guess. but if that doesn't come across, it's probably okay haha


	7. muffin stealer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone steals Nico's muffin, and Nico's not pleased.

Nico has an established routine. He likes routines. They make him feel productive and efficient, and they keep him from losing his mind. A bit like he’s doing right now as Jason tells him that all of the chocolate chip muffins are sold out. Because he specifically gets here early enough that there are still chocolate chip muffins waiting for him. Okay, maybe there are only two or three by the time he actually makes it through the door, but he tries his best.

“What do you mean?”

“Just what I said, Nico. We’re out. I’d suggest waiting for the next batch, but I know you’ve got class.”

Nico huffs. Yes. His sister had encouraged him to sign up for an art class after snooping through his sketchbook last summer. And though Nico really likes the class, he likes it a lot better with a muffin at his side. Eight in the morning was just too early for anything.

“Yeah, I do. Which is why I’m here now.”

“We’ve got other muffins,” Jason says. “What about the chocolate one? Or the blueberry one? That’s actually a customer favorite.”

“Well, this customer’s favorite is chocolate chip,” Nico says. He tries his best not to pout as he grabs his coffee and leaves. He catches Jason’s smirk, but he’s too angry to analyze what that means.

And then as he gets on the bus, he spots it. The last empty seat. And his chocolate chip muffin. (Of course, he realizes that it could be any chocolate chip muffin from any cafe, but he knows that paper, and he’s seen those blond curls before somewhere.)

Nico doesn’t regret his actions a single bit as he races down the bus aisle, almost colliding with the muffin stealer, as he secures the last seat. He doesn’t meet the guy’s eyes as he settles his bag over his lap, looking forward. It’s only three stops until his, so he just waits patiently. Hopefully, the muffin stealer will get off before him.

But luck isn’t on his side, and they get off at the same stop. And then they end up in the same art class, and now Nico knows why he recognizes those blond curls. It’s Will Solace, the most annoying guy in his art class. Will was always awake and asking questions. He was the guy who suggested that they use watercolor on their next project, though Nico hates using watercolors. He’s also ridiculously attractive and probably the human form of a golden retriever while Nico’s more of a cat person.

So, long story short, there’s a lot not to like about Will Solace. Now add muffin stealer to the list.

Nico takes his usual place towards the front. It sucked being shorter than everyone else. He could barely even see over the easel.

“So, for today’s class, we’ve got a model. I just want quick sketches. We’ll be rotating every fifteen minutes, so remember what we went over during our last class. The goal is to be as detailed as possible without getting too sucked in, okay?”

Nico gets his charcoals ready, wondering who the model would be. He always loved when they had models. He felt that he could fully focus on the task rather than having his mind wander when he was just copying from an illustration or photograph or when he had to come up with the whole picture himself.

A lady walks into the room, and they all wait while she gets comfortable on the couch at the front of the room. Nico had gotten over his embarrassment at having nude models the first day after his professor had told him to think about the people as art instead of as naked. It had helped a lot, and now Nico could work without fearing that he’d called out for his blush or his hesitancy when he got to certain areas.

He’s so focused on his work that he hardly hears the timer for fifteen minutes go off. And then he’s immediately absorbed into four more rotations. His hand is starting to cramp up when the fourth rotation is finished, and Nico sits back to admire his work. He was also getting better at liking his work. Not everything had to be finished or perfect.

“These are really nice, Nico,” his professor says. “You’ve really come a long way.”

Nico beams with pride. Until this class, his art had been his own private hobby, but now he was enjoying sharing it. Feedback helped a lot, and he was collecting advice and tips and reference materials. It was also one of the only parts of his day that he could truly let his mind wander.

“Look at this, class,” his professor is saying now. Nico blinks as everyone gathers around Will’s easel. “Look at the proportions. These are very well done.” She smiles at Will. “I’d just work on your line technique. Some of these lines are very heavy for only being part of the framework.”

Nico hums. Of course, Will’s proportions would be better than his. Will was a medical student. He looked at human bodies all day.  
-  
Nico’s feeling better today. He’d gotten his chocolate chip muffin this morning, and he was just about finished with his paper. He was doing a retelling of the Hades/Persephone myth because he refused to believe that Persephone was as much of a damsel as everyone thought she was. And Hades wasn’t as much of a bad boy either.

He’s just about to tie up his paper when he hears whooping coming from outside. It’s loud and annoying, and Nico can’t think of a reason for it. He glances out his window, cursing once again that there’s a basketball court placed right outside. It wasn’t too much of an issue. Usually, students preferred the rec center. When there was something happening here, Nico could just stick his earbuds in.

This time, though, he had been enjoying the silence. He’d left his window open to air out his room from all of his studying. It kind of smelled like stale chips and microwave meals. But now that open window was letting in that annoying sound of a basketball dribbling.

Nico shuts his window, but the sound was still there. He sits back at his computer, trying to focus. He has everything written that he wants, but he needs to wrap it up and then edit. And then maybe edit again. He really likes this paper, so he wants it to be perfect.

He goes to type another sentence when cheering breaks out. Nico assumes that someone’s just scored a basket, but he couldn’t care less. Don’t they know that people are studying? And he can’t possibly be the only one annoyed, right? Other people lived in this building. Surely one of them would complain.

Nico fights his way through a few more sentences, trying his best to ignore the dribbling and the cheering. It was two in the afternoon, and Nico didn’t understand why today of all days someone had decided to play basketball. There were nicer courts by the rec center. There was even a net on the baskets there. This one was just a metal hoop.

Nico manages to finish the last paragraph, cringing at how bad it is. If he just had some peace and quiet. It was possible for him to finish this elsewhere, but he doesn’t think that he should have to move just to get homework done. He likes studying in his room. The library was way too quiet, and the student union was way too loud.

He goes over to his window, ready to just yell for everyone to shut the heck up.

“Hey, Nico!” Nico wants to hide. He gives a small wave. “Didn’t know you lived there. What’s up?”

“Studying,” Nico says, trying to get the message across.

Will just nods. “That’s too bad. I was gonna ask if you wanted to join us. Want to?”

Nico certainly does not want to. What he wants to do is finish his paper in peace. What he wants to do is ask for Will Solace and his friends to go play basketball somewhere else. But now that he actually knows these people, he feels it’d be a bit rude. Even if Will Solace is annoying.

“I’ll pass,” he says.

“Cool,” Will says. “But if you get tired of studying, we’ll be here.”

Nico nods, closing his window. Then he gathers all of his stuff and heads to the library.  
-  
It’s raining, and Nico’s doing his best to keep his art materials from getting wet. It’d be easier if he hadn’t somehow ripped his portfolio case, but he hadn’t yet gotten a new one. So now he was acting as an umbrella for his art projects instead of holding an actual umbrella.

To make matters worse, he actually witnesses Will Solace buying the last chocolate chip muffin.

“I can’t believe this,” he says, apparently louder than he’d been going for.

“What can’t you believe?” Will asks, turning around, muffin in hand.

“You!” Nico huffs. “You just got the last muffin!”

“There are others-“ Will starts to say, but Nico shakes his head.

“He only likes the chocolate chip ones,” Jason offers. Nico glares at him. He’s not sure what it is about Will Solace that just makes him feel so mad. Maybe it’s how his curls somehow don’t get messed up in the rain or that he’s holding what’s supposed to be Nico’s muffin or that his art always gets complimented. Nico’s not comparing himself to Will, but it’d be nice if Will weren’t so annoying.

“Oh, man, my bad,” Will says, actually looking a bit sorry. “They’re my favorite, too.”

“Yeah,” Nico says.

“Well, we can split it,” Will suggests.

Nico’s about to respond when his phone buzzes. He curses. “Class just got canceled. I’m headed back to bed.”

“Wait. Really? You’re already here,” Will says. 

At this point, Nico realizes that they’re still standing in the middle of the store, making quite an impressive puddle. “Fine. Whatever. But I choose my half.”

Will smiles. “Sure.” They find a table by the window, and Nico holds out his hand for the muffin. “I do expect at least half, though.”

Nico rolls his eyes as he cuts the muffin, choosing the half that he believes has the most chocolate chips. He hands the other half to Will.

“Did you do your sketches for Williams?” Will asks, shoving the muffin in his mouth.

“Of course,” Nico says. He’d done them the day they were assigned, sitting in the student union to find subjects.

“I kind of forgot,” Will says. “Kind of good that class was canceled.”

“Wow, Solace.” Nico shakes his head. Will huffs.

“I had a lot to do this week, okay? Can you name all of the bones and muscles in the human body? No? I can. Or I could. Whatever. The test is over.”

Nico laughs. “Wow. I’m impressed,” he deadpans.

“Whatever. Can I see your sketches? I want to make sure I’m doing them right.”

Will’s pulled out his stuff, and Nico recognizes the man he’s drawing. He comes in every morning like Nico and gets a coffee before reading the paper.

“There aren’t really any requirements. She just said to capture the person.” He pulls out his stuff anyway, pretending to make sure that they’re still dry.

“Wow, Nico. These are amazing,” Will says. Nico flushes a bit at the praise. “I think you’re one of the best in the class, you know. What’s your major?”

“English lit.” Will hums, drawing in the man’s hat. “Yours?”

“Biology.”

Will looks up after finishing the newspaper man. “Can I ask you something?” Nico shrugs. “Do you hate me?”

Nico wants to say yes, but the answer doesn’t feel quite right. “Not really,” he says.

“It kind of feels like you do. Which is fine. I can take it. But I don’t think I’ve ever done anything to make you hate me, right?” Will asks.

“Not intentionally, I guess,” Nico says. He feels defensive now, but he keeps getting blinded by Will’s smile.

“So is that a yes?”

“Gods, you’re just so annoying sometimes,” Nico says. “Like right now when you want to know everything. Or how the professor always compliments your work. Or how you keep taking the last chocolate chip muffin.” Nico pauses. “You’re just always so gosh darned good at everything. It’s annoying.”

“So I’m annoying?” Will asks. He’s grinning for some reason. “Nico, if I’m annoying, you are, too.”

“What?”

“You’re so good at art it’s kind of intimidating. And you never back down from a fight. Seriously, who else would confront someone for buying a muffin? Or playing basketball? And you’re so smart. One of my friends is in your lit class, and she’s always complaining about stuff you say because she’s afraid it makes her look stupid.”

“Which friend?”

“Are you going to hunt her down?” Will asks.

“No, I’m just curious.”

“Lou Ellen. I don’t think I’ve gone an entire day this semester without hearing about something you’d said or done.” Will scratches the back of his neck. “It’s kind of why I signed up for this art class. I mean, I did want to get better at art. And I do like it. But also because I knew you’d be in the class.”

“And?” Nico asks.

“And Lou’s completely right. You’re smart and confident and wear too much black.”

“Hey!” Nico protests, but he’s smiling. “You can’t just insult me when you just confessed that you signed up for an art class just to see if I was smart.”

“I can, and I just did. Don’t forget. I’m also annoying.”

“How could I?” Nico mumbles.

Will laughs. “So do you hate me still? Even just a little?”

“No,” Nico pouts. “I guess not. Though you could really stop stealing my muffins.”

“No promises there,” Will says. “But friends maybe?”

Nico rolls his eyes. He’s not sure how this just happened. “Fine. Friends, Solace. But that doesn’t make you less annoying.”

Will winks. “I sure hope not.”


	8. doctor's orders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The doctor becomes the patient.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> notes: mention of minor burns

It’d been an accident, really, but that doesn’t change the fact that Will’s hurt. Will hadn’t even been in the brunt of the fighting this time. Instead, according to Annabeth’s plans, Will was supposed to be scouting along the perimeters, keeping watch and being backup in case something went off plan. Like most things seemed to do. So maybe Nico should have seen this coming.

Still, capture the flag was supposed to be fun. A healthy competition. People weren’t supposed to be hurt. Not that it ever happened that way. And usually, Nico never minded. But usually, his boyfriend wasn’t the one getting hurt. Usually, he was the one healing everyone else.

So this posed just a small problem. Since none of Will’s siblings had inherited the healing magic. And the infirmary was now full of people who needed medical attention.

Nico had burst through the doors with the pride of winning. He’d expected to find Will bustling around, complaining about all of the traffic for just one night. It didn’t help that the two teams tonight had been Apollo vs. Hades. The competition had started way before tonight, but that was all fun and games. Tonight, the pranks got dirty, involved weapons and strategy beyond just filling someone’s shampoo with shaving cream or their deodorant with glue.

“Will, you owe me my cookies!” Nico announces as he walks in. He looks around for Will, trying to spot his boyfriend amongst all of his siblings. It was nearly impossible with everyone sporting some sort of feature from Apollo, either the blond hair or the freckles or the blue eyes. It didn’t help that the infirmary was always chaos after capture the flag anyway.

“He’s in the back,” Kayla calls when she sees Nico. He gives her a thumbs up, not asking why Will would be there. Usually, the worst patients or the ones that needed more specific attention were back there. That was usually where Will was when he wasn’t trying to run the place.

Nico glances along the beds, trying to find that familiar head of blond curls leaning over one of them.

“Oh, hey, Nico,” Austin says. “Will’s in the last one. Quiet, though. Finally got him to sleep.”

Nico frowns. “What do you mean? What happened?”

Austin flinches, probably not prepared to explain to Will’s boyfriend about Will.

“Um, nothing bad,” he says. “Just not great, I guess. Minor injuries, but Will hasn’t been helping them any by trying to heal everyone that comes in. So a couple of cuts, some burns. Sheer exhaustion made him sleep. He’s probably also dehydrated.”

At this, Austin shoves a tray towards Nico. “What’s this?”

“Everything he’ll need,” Austin says. “Or at least until morning.” Kayla yells something to him, and Austin glances over his shoulder to give her the thumbs up. “I’ve gotta go. The only downside of finally getting him to relax is that we probably won’t be sleeping until tomorrow at the earliest.”

Nico nods. He’d offer to help, usually does, but right now his boyfriend is injured.

He makes his way to Will’s side, sighing when he sees the extent of the injuries. The cuts weren’t too bad, already taken care of with neat stitches or some bandaids. The burns were a little more worrisome. Will’s hands were bundled up to his elbows, probably a result of healing too much at once when he was already exhausted.

Nico pulls over an empty chair, getting himself comfortable. Will was too spread out on the bed to even think about cuddling right now. And Nico doesn’t want to wake him up.

“Good night, sunshine,” he whispers, smoothing back Will’s curls. Will shifts in his sleep, settling down when Nico places a kiss to his forehead.  
-  
Nico’s awoken by arguing. It isn’t anything new, but it is kind of annoying. Nico’s fallen asleep way too many times in the infirmary, and he feels everyone should just shut up and let the Apollo kids do their thing. After all, very few other godly parents have blessed their children with the ability to diagnose and heal on such short notice. Nico wasn’t sure how mortals ever stood it, waiting around for so long just to get over a cold or a cut. Then again, they didn’t have to fight off monsters or play on climbing walls that spouted lava on a regular basis.

“Nico, tell your boyfriend that he needs rest,” Kayla is saying. She’s got her hands on her hips, and Nico’s pretty sure she didn’t sleep last night.

“I’m fine, Kayla. Or I will be once you take these mittens off my hands. I won’t even heal anyone. Just change bandages and whatnot.”

Kayla shakes her head, and Nico has to agree. It was clear Will was exhausted. He hadn’t slept much this past week, and last night had to be rough. Plus, Will couldn’t heal himself, so that meant he had to take the more natural path of healing. And with burns, that could take a bit of time.

“I agree with Kayla, sunshine,” Nico says. “Bedrest for you. Doctor’s orders.”

“You aren’t a doctor,” Will huffs.

“And neither are you.” Will starts to open his mouth, but Nico cuts him off. “You’re a patient right now. No argument.”

Kayla looks pleased with this, bringing over another tray for the morning. “Here’s all of the stuff he’ll need. He can probably tell you what everything is. Just don’t let him start working.”

Will pouts until Kayla’s gone, turning to Nico. “Please, baby? I promise I’m okay. Just tired. But who isn’t?”

Nico fixes him with a look. “Will, you haven’t burned yourself in months. And remember what happened last time?”

Will deflates a little. Last time had been pretty bad, but Nico had understood. It’d been a stressful time with so many injured and so fast. Luckily, they haven’t had a monster attack or new arrivals since.

“I know, but I feel so useless right now.” His eyes glance over Nico. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

“Nope. Just a few scratches. Already scabbed over.”

Nico sorts out the stuff on the tray, separating food from the pills from the ambrosia. He gives Will a small square before feeding him some fruit. He watches Will’s cheeks blush. For all that Will did for others, he was unused to people doing things for him.

“I don’t mind,” Nico says before Will can say anything. “You’re not too bad of a patient. I’m sure I was much worse.”

Will snorts. “I definitely haven’t threatened to send you to the underworld yet.”

Nico rolls his eyes. Okay, he was a little dramatic, but that was all before he’d really gotten to know Will. Now, Nico secretly loves being on bedrest with how Will dotes on him. He wouldn’t be able to stand it all the time, but every now and then was perfectly fine.

They pass the day playing games and being adorably sappy as Austin puts it. Will demands cuddles, and who is Nico to deny him? Though it does make playing games hard when Will’s constantly trying to cheat by looking over Nico’s shoulder. And they can’t play cards yet with Will’s mitten hands.

“How much longer?” Will asks.

“Soon,” Nico says. As a son of Apollo, Will did heal faster than the average demigod. Which worked in his favor whenever he burned himself out like this. Nico faded and Will got severe sunburns. What a pair they were. “Probably tonight.”

Will grins. “And then we can hold hands.”

“Maybe. If your hands aren’t too slippery with lotion.”

Will makes a face. “You could use some. Your skin is pretty dry.”Nico sticks out his tongue. He never thought he’d be in a relationship like this. One where he would be cuddled and kissed and have to hand-feed his boyfriend whenever he accidentally used his powers too much.

“You’re a pretty good doctor, Nico,” Will muses into Nico’s ear that night. He’s finally gotten his bandages off, so he’s trailing his fingers lightly over Nico’s skin. It feels a little funny with the lotion, but Nico doesn’t mind. He’s anxious to hold Will’s hands, too.

“I would agree,” Nico says.

Will snorts. “Maybe we should do this more often.”

“Cuddling, yes. Getting hurt, no.” Will’s arms wrap around Nico’s waist, Will burying his face into Nico’s shoulder.

“I like that,” Will mumbles, yawning. It was well past sundown, and Nico knew it’d be any moment now before Will dropped off to sleep. “Kiss me goodnight?” Nico rolls his eyes, but he leans down to kiss Will’s waiting lips. “I love you, Will.”

He waits a moment for a reply but laughs quietly when he realizes that Will’s already asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> tags will be added as writing is added -- please let me know if I need to tag anything!
> 
> comments are appreciated :)


End file.
